Six immigrants from India are on a hunger strike at the ICE Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, according to advocacy organization La Resistencia.
The immigrants are refusing food to draw attention to a number of issues, including lengthy and indefinite detention. They note that one man in the group has been held for eight months. Another striker says he has medical issues that have not been adequately addressed.
The Indian detainees, all vegetarians, also say their food has not been adequate and they cannot supplement their diet with food from the commissary because the prices are so high. The strikers also say their health has been affected by a lack of exercise outside, and that their immigration proceedings have not been handled properly.
A request for comment from the Department of Homeland Security, ICE’s parent agency, was not immediately returned on Thursday. La Resistencia says they are planning a protest at the Tacoma facility for Sunday, June 18.